As the Ledyard High School girls basketball team watched Wednesday’s pre-game ceremonies unfold, Ledyard coach Adam Baber made sure the squad realized who was being honored and why.

Not only did Baber want to give respect to the duo being honored — it’s now the Judy Dowe Standish gym, along with the Bob Arsenault Court — but he was hoping for a win, too.

They accomplished it all after a 58-25 win over St. Bernard.

“I think (Ledyard principal Amanda) Fagan put it best when she called them ‘the pioneers for girls athletics and basketball in particular’ ” in the dedication ceremony, Baber said, “and I think (the team) hung on to that as the game went on.”

The team was not familiar with Arsenault, who is considered the father of the sport at Ledyard, and his right-hand person, Howe Standish, who began the program in 1975. Baber, however, said he and his staff made a point of informing them.

The Colonels (13-2) had plenty of time to think of other things after the first quarter. The Saints put up a fight early when Casey Sullivan (13 points) hit a pair of 3-pointers and Brittney Walenta (nine points) challenged Ledyard’s interior defense.

“Brittney drives against anybody. She would drive against UConn girls,” St. Bernard coach Mike Nystrom said with a laugh.

Up front, the Colonels could almost be confused with a college team. When 6-foot-3 Hannah Hutchins is in, the Colonels then move 6-foot Kylie Fustini to the three-spot so 6-1 Michelle Klinikowski can play the power forward. It’s a luxury to which few high school girls basketball teams can lay claim, and what makes matters worse is the Colonels have discovered they can shoot from the outside with impunity.

Olivia DelGrosso, Ari Fustini and Bianca Matira are free to launch as they’re generally sure one of the bigs will get the board — Ledyard outrebounded St. Bernard, 31-15 — if the shot happens to go astray.

“It helps, because if we shoot it (and make it), it opens up the inside,” DelGrosso said. “We all are working together.”

On Wednesday, it was Kylie Fustini’s turn. She scored eight of her team-high 14 points in the first quarter to lead Ledyard to an 18-10 advantage at the end of the period. DelGrosso scored seven of her 11 points in the third quarter and Klinikowski (nine rebounds) knocked down five of her 12 in the fourth.

“That’s the best part,” Kylie Fustini said. “It’s hard guarding us, because who do you guard?”